Device for inking draftsmen&#39;s pens.



No. 663,l3|. Patented Dec. 4, I900.

H. w. H. POWEL.

DEVICE FOR INKING DBAFTSMENS PENS.

(Apglicgtion filed Apr. 21, 1s99.)

I {'9 F 6 a 6 w a W NiTEn STATES DEVICE FOR INKING DRAFTSMENS PENS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,131, dated December 4, 1900. Application filed April 27, 1899. $erial. No- '7l4,659. (N0 model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARFORD W. HARE POWEL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city and county of Newport, in the State of Rhode Island, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Devices for InkingDraftsmens Pens, of which the following, reference being had to the component drawings, is a true and exact description.

My invention relates to devices for applying ink to draftsmens pens.

So far as I am aware the practice has been when his drawing or bow pen needed ink for the draftsm an to let go of his T and other squares, &c., and with his left hand to take an ordinary writing-pen, a slip of paper, ora quill or.pipette attached to the lower side of his inkstand-cork and dipping it into the ink to secure thereon a drop and by contacting the same between the blades of his pen to charge the 'latter, the drawing-pen being held the while in the draftsmans right or pen hand, and then (not to mention Wiping his pen, laying in a safe place said ink-carrier, &c.) to return to his probably dislocated squares and drawing. invention (hereinafter described) I provide draftsmen with a device whereby it becomes unnecessary to let go of T-squares, &c., or to use any but the pen-holding hand, and of it to use possibly only such portions as are not engaged in the ordinary grasp of the pen. By this means I reduce to a minimum the number of hands occupied in the act, as well as the number of motions, save time, make the ink charges substantially uniform in amount, and afford with its incidents a cleanly, simple, and durable machine'in place of crude ink-scattering haphazard handtools.

The new and useful features of my said invention will be found segregated in the concluding claims, and reference now being had to the above-mentioned drawings, they will be found to illustrate the same as'follows:

Figure 1 is a partially-sectionedside elevation of a simple embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 isa plan view of device shown in Fig. 1, the broken line 1 1 denoting plane of sections, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partially-sectioned side elevation of a preferred modifica- Now by my.

cated in Fig. 1 by and so to charge his pen.

erablylittle) finger of the plan View of modification, Fig. 3, the broken line 3 3 denoting plane of sections,Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a group of parts comprised in Figs. 3 and 4 in the act of assembling. Figs. (Sand 7 are respectively side elevation and transverse thin section on line 6 6 of Fig.6 ofamodification of a detail. Fig. Sis a partiallysectioned elevation, similar to Fig. 3, of a further amplification of preferred modification. Fig. 9 is a similar View of astill furthermodification.

In Fig. 1, A is a block of preferably porcelain, slate, or other material of tooth suitable for grinding india-ink. Sunk in the top of this block is the usual annular inwaidly slopiiig inkgrinding surface aand contiguous central well W, into which well the said grinding-surface drains. To the margin of the block I connect, through countersunk hole a, screw 3, and nut 77., having hinge-lugs Z Z and pivot-pin p, a reciprocating arm B, a short lever extension of which arm, having a twist given its mid-body, forms at its end a fingering partor key 7r, while the other end 1'), which is not only longer, but of sufficient reach and proper blade-like character for the purpose, extends to and either dips into the ink (designated by parallel broken lines) in the well W or, if the blade be vibrated up by pressing upon key It, issues therefrom and banking in a substantially horizontal position on shoulder Z of the hingenut n exposes itself above the block charged with adhering ink. This position is indibroken-line outline h and is a suitable one for the draftsman to straddle over the ink-carrying end I) the blades of his pen, to contact with the liquid ink thereon the inside of one of said blades, If the blades of the pen become clogged, pulling the straddled pen across the blade 1) acts to clean them out. In this act and in the blade-straddling and ink-charging acts the fact that the (prefdraftsmans hand after tilting up the arm 13 still'rests upon its fingering part the key kgives him a most desirable point of support and facilitates the speedy, cleanly, and accurate charging of his pen. If not drawn across the tion. Fig. 4 is a blade, and in most cases it is not, the charged alone.

pen is readily removed both the former, is well within the fingerflexing motions of the pen-holding hand As soon as the charged pen is clear of the ink-carrying blade I) the draftsman takes his finger off. of the key, and the preponderance of the Well-reaching end tilts the arm and its end I) reimmerses in the ink. Left in this way between the charging acts prevents remnants of ink not charged from drying on and gumming up the blade.

As a naked well of ink is prone to become dusty, rapidly evaporate, and thicken, I pre-' fer to combine with above simple form of my invention a cover, (indicated at O in Figs. 1 and 2.) This cover 0, being detachable, slotted, and conforming in size and shape,

fits in the rabbet or shoulder of the afore:

said countersunk grinding-surface. There steady-pins c, fixed to and protruding from the under side of cover 0, localize its slot 0 in respect to the ink-carrying blades path by engaging with registering holes a a sunk into the inkstand or block A. A shutter 0 having a fingering-lug 0 is also preferably pivoted at c to cover 0 andwhen the blade is up serves completely to cork the Well W. When the blade is down, the shutter O is of course placed to one side; but then the sides of slot 0 (though sufficiently far apart to clear the ink-charges borne upon the blade end (9) are yet so close that when said blade is down they afford little room for access of dust, evaporating air-currents, &c.

While the blade I) may be made of a variety of materials-such as steel, brass, hammered silver, celluloid, &c.those least subject to corrosion or of themselves least wearing to the preferable.

The mode of operation having been incident to above description of the forms shown in Figs. 1 and 2, I now pass to the description of preferred modification. (Illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.) Here the well-reaching blade (3 is curved or scimeter-shaped. When exposed, it has, instead of Fig.1, a pendent position and is connected not directly to well-block'A but to a detachable cover 0 which cover byv ground meeting faces sits tight upon the margin a,

pen-blades if drawn across are surrounding said well-blocks ink-rubbing surface a Rubber bands R R bind cover 0 in position and also on the under side of block A afford good non-slipping feet for steady repose. This cover, which I prefer to make of glass, celluloid, or similar transparent material, has over the well W an aperture O of such size and figure as amply to clear blade (9 in its path to and from the inkwell W in which ink is indicated by parallel broken lines. This modified ink-carrying blade end h is made separate fron1,but removably connected with, a cranked upstanding rock-arm part 13 which arm part toward the,

by an opposite or unstraddling movement, which movement, like a horizontal, as form .illarity,

wise provided with a tang Z2 registering with the mortise aforesaid. On inspecting Fig. 5

the blade-clenchinglugs of this rock-arm part B will be seen to be oblique, for I prefer to slant the ink-carrying blade I), which they hold, into that line which experience has shown me the pen with proper manipulationassumes in the ink-charging acts, and thus I reduce what in the charging,nib-clearing, or unstraddling acts otherwise might require a wrist movement to a mere finger-joint fiexing. This slant of the ink-carrying part of the blade is of special value if the little fino0 ger of the pen-hand finds, as it is designed to do during the whole act, a point of support on the key h which key in this preferred form is of a struck-up or concave saucer shape and attached, as by being integral 5 with, hard soldering, riveting, &c., to the upper and swinging part of arm B Any suitable abutment, as flat 6 on the hinge part of the arm B serves to limit the upward motion of the blade at a proper exposing posi- 10 tion above cover 0 which position thus definable is not further illustrated. In it, how-- ever, the carrier-blade 19 should stand exposed with its point pendent, and thus tend to have the carried ink collect by gravity on its extremity. A flanged cap 0 somewhat larger in area than the perforation O in cover 0 is preferably attached above the bladechuck to the well-reaching parts and in such manner that it serves to closely cover said per- I 10 foration whenever blade Z9 is in its ink-securing position, thus on and asan incident of the return of the blade I automatically and completely closing the well. The curved and pendent form of the blade 19 causes it to ap- 1 I5 ply, if not to carry, more ink for a similar area of blade than does a straight substantially horizontal blade like I) aforesaid. An interchangeable corrugated blade (9 (shown in Figs. 6 and 7) by reason of its quasi cap- I20 increased surface, &c., carries still more ink and as indicated by the tang b and adjoining screw-hole,'is adjustable to the chuck of arm B (Shown in Figs. 3 and 4:.)

As a still further step in this the graded ink- I2 5 carrying capacity of my invention, which for detail and long heavy-line drawing-pens is important, Ihave also shown in Figs. 8 and 9 a valveless pump, pipette, or dropper device, combined with well-connected parts B B and provided them with well-reaching blades 19 and (9 respectively, or in detail in arm 13 which has a Fig. 8 slotted cover C and pivotally (11 con nectcd hollow cylindrical head 17 and an attached well-reaching tube T. The rear end of this tube is open and upturned and has, in the manner of pipettes, slipped over it the grasping-neck 'Lt of a 1101- low elastic bulb U. Upon the other end of the tube T a cranked tubular part if, of reduced or tapering section-ends, preferably, in a diagonally-cut and flattened capillary blade 13 Upon the mid outer body of tube T a hollow conical cork C is fixed, so as when the pipette is swung down for ink to project into and close the cover-aperture C or as is shown in Fig. 8. In this position the bulb U can be collapsed between the small disengaged fingers and palm of the pen-holding hand, air expelled, the bulb released, ink drawn in, and by a touch of some of said members the pipette tilted up. Then blade B being clear of cover 0 a second squeeze by same members will, the pen-blades being straddled over the ink-carrying blade, cause the ink in quantity to be ejected and lodged between said pen-blades. The bulb-carrying end of the pipette-tube is turned up in order to prevent ink when drawn into the tubes cavity from running back into the bulb, and thus causing air-bubbles or even inaction of the device. A subsidiary shutter 0 may also, as shown in Fig. 8, be pivoted to cover 0 and by being swung over the cover-slot (3 when the pipette is up exclude air, &c.

In Fig. 9 instead of a vibratory reciprocation themovement to and from the well W is rectilinear and made bya smooth straight tubular dropper B whose mid-body is engaged in thesuitably light frictional grasp of the coiled head Z9 of a stanchion B the flanged and screw-pivoted foot 19 of which screwing into a registering tapped hole 0 in cover 0 attaches the same with the axis of said spirally coiled and slanting head pointed at the Well-aperture 0 along which line can be readily slid the dropper B grasped between the small fingers and palm of the penholding hand. Below and parallel with an extension of this line of movement and at proper intervals, as illustrated in Fig. 9, two abutments I I, fixed to the said cover in the manner of the stanchion aforesaid, afford limits of motion and banks upon which the collapsible bulb U of said dropper may be actuated, on the one nearest said stanchion for the filling and on the other for the ejection of ink from the blade, which blade is here the capillary tube end b of said dropper and acts in a manner which should be so patent from the foregoing of a pipettes'action in form Fig. 8 as not to require further description.

In the form illustrated in Fig. 9 the cover 0 is flanged and laterally fixed to the well by a rabbeted seat 0 and the ink-rubbing sur- I show, with well-block A swinging.

face (1 a unilateral slope, all of which is familiar and only touched on to show that I do not wholly limit myself to a particular form of well or inkstand; but the cover-slot 0 which in plan presumably comes close to or conforms with the section of the tubular-parts that pass into it, is, in combination with said parts, 850., a further illustration of a modified self-closing pen-inking machine of my present invention. Also as the ink-securing duct (Z of the blade I) is fine the amount of air, dust, &c., which after loading can thereby enter the cavity of the dropper B is so small as in practice to be negligible,which fact, coupled with the fact that the capacity of the pipette or dropper may in this case be made nearly or quite equal to that of the well, aspect in the scope and claims of my shows a still further protean character of the broad invention.

The droppers and their blades, Figs. Sand 9, may be of glass or metal, due. The fragile character of the former, especially in case of the form Fig. 8, however, is not preferred. In fact, while the material of the blades in the forms shown in the drawings may be various, I prefer to make them of pen-steel, brass, or hammered silver.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown immediate mechanical connection between the ink-well and the ink-carrying blade-viz., pivot 19. In the modifications Figs. 3, 4:, and 8, respectively, the connection of the aforesaid elements of combinations is mediate or by vibrating arms pivoted to a cover. Moreover, these arms B B respectively, act as tumblers, for by reason of their centers of gravity crossing the vertical plane between their inkimmersing (or down) and up (or exposing) positions they naturally stay put-=either up or down, whereas the immediately-connected blade end I) of the form shown in Fig. I, having a preponderance over its shorter key end unless prevented by shutter 0 automatically seeks and keeps the well. In the form Fig. 9 rectilinear takes the place of vibratory reciprocation, and the mechanical connection (whereby the ink-carrying blade b is to be placed alternately within said well or eX- posed is the above-described combined automatic clutch and coiled guiding-head h of the dropper-supporting stanchion H, which well and blade connection ,contrasted with the pivoted ones of the first forms, further illustrate the scope of certain following claims.

In Fig. 8 the rock-arm B works in and between depressed lugs, of which only one, Z is shown, 19 denoting the pivot. In Figs. 3, 4, and 5 in place of such immediate hinging preferably metallic lugs Z Z form a chair which by rivet r is fixed to a suitable perforation (see Fig. 3) in cover G and for glass or celluloid or other friable sorts of cover is preferred to integral cover-lugs, like 1*.

Having fully described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination of an ink-well, a blade, a support for presenting said blade in an exposing position, and means for operating said blade substantially as described.

2. The combination with an ink-Well of an ink-carrying blade, and mechanical connections with the well whereby said blade can be placed alternately in an ink-immersed and in an exposing pen-charging position, substantially as described.

3. The combination of an ink-well, a movable ink-carrying blade, and mechanical connections whereby said blade may be actuated by one hand, substantially as described' 4. The combination of an ink-well and a pivotally-connected ink-carrying blade, substantially as described.

5. The combination of carrying blade, a pivotal connection, and a finger-key, substantially as described.

6. The combination with an ink-well of a movable arm provided with a chuck or blade-engaging parts, and a removable blade adapted to be chucked or engaged therewith, substantially as described.

an ink-well, an ink- 7. The combination of an ink-well, a perforated cover, a connected ink-carrying blade adapted to move through the perforation of said cover, and means-for closing said perforation when the blade is exposed substantially as described. 8. The combination of an ink-Well, a movably-attached ink-carrying blade, and a covering part operative to close said well when said blade is therein projected, substantially as described. I

9. The combination of an ink-well, an inkwell cover provided with an aperture communicating with said well, an ink-carrying blade operatively connected therewith, and, attached to said blade, a subsidiary cover adapted, when the blade is immersed, to close saidaperture substantially as' described.

10. The combination of an ink-well an inkcarrying blade, and mechanical connections whereby said blade, alternately may be immersed in said Well and moved to and from a pendent exposed position, substantially as described. u

11. The combination with a friable inkstand-cover, having an aperture, of an attached hinge-arm of non-friable material, and an ink-carrying blade thereby operatively connected, substantially as described.

HARFORD w. HARE rowEL.

Witnesses:

CHAS. F. MYERS, D. STEWART. 

